Wire-bending tool with work clamp



May 22,- 1951 L. R. VINES W'IRE BENDINGITOOL WITH WORK cum? Filed March 8, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fl [5 E 76 INVENTOR.

[away/Z V/mzs L. R. VINES WIRE BENDING TO0L WITH WORK CLAMP. v

May 22, 1951 2 Sheets-Shut. 2

Filed March 8, 1948 INVENTOR. [emae/Z M7785 Patented May 22, 1951 UNITED STATES FATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

The. invention relates to wire bending tools and more particularly to tools designed and adapted for bending and securing a sofiit hanging wire to a structural steel member in steelconcrete building construction.

In reinforced structural steel and concrete building construction it is customary and well understood to first erect the steel structural members composed of beams, girders, and the like; and thereafter support the concrete forms on the structural members for pouring the concrete walls, floors and the like. One of the preferred methods for supporting soffit and soifit hangers from the horizontal structural beams has been in the use of what is commonly referred to as a, hanging wire which is bent around the structural member and depends therefrom for connection to and support of the sofiit hanger. After pouring and setting of the concrete the form lumber is detached from the hanging wires and the latter remain embedded in the concrete. While this. method of hanging beam soflits to structural members has considerable merit and is widely used, there has been substantial difficulty and loss of time and efficiency encountered on the job in securing the hanging wire to the structural steel member. This attachment, has been customarily made by hammering the Wire around the steel beam which nor--v mally can only be crudely accomplished due in part 'to the fact that the hanging wire is usually composed of chilled steel and resists bending and deformation. Accordingly, the, best that can be sometimes obtained is a rather large open loop loosely encompassing the beam. In accordance with the present invention and as a principal object thereof, I provide a Wire bendn tool which mayv be quickly and easily-attached to the beam and the hanging wire, and which will effect a neat and precise bending of the. wire. around the beam in close conformity tothe shape thereof in a rapid and highly efficient manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wire bending tool of the character described which is formed of a minimum number of sturdily constructed parts and wherein the unique operation of the tool is accomplished by essentially only three moving parts.

A further object of the invention is to pro-.

vide a wire bending tool of the character above which may be readily transported to and from the work, and which may be conveniently and easily used by a workman on the job. 7

he. nv ntion os esses ethe objec s a d features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawings and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawings:

Figure 1 illustrates a tool constructed in accordance with the present invention in side elevation with the tool operatively positioned in place on a structural beam and showing some of the related parts of a building.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the tool illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the tool in side elevation similar to Figure 1 but showing a different position of the operating parts.

Figure 4 is an enlarged View similar to Figure 3 showing a final position of the parts in securing a hanging wire to the beam.

The wire bending tool of the present invention is, as above noted, designed for use in attach,- ing a soffit hanging wire or the like to astruce tur'al steel member in reinforced concrete. build: ing construction. Some of the associated parts of such construction are illustrated in Figure l of the drawings and include a structural beam member or girder 6, commonly an I-beam provided with a horizontal top flange l to which a hanging wire 8 is to be attached. The latter is of a common type having a preformed right angularly bent freeend portion 9 adapted to overlie the flange 7 with the bend ll of the wire at an edge l2 of the flange and the balance of the length of the wire depending therefrom. The lower end portion I3 of the wire is extended through openings in the soffit l4 and soflit hanger i6 and is provided at its lower end with a removable wedge ll which engages and-supports the under side. of the sofit hanger it, After the hanging Wire}! is completely and securely attached to the beam 6 the other connected form parts may be erected such as a kicker l8; cleat I9, beam side 2 I joist 22, deck23 and ribband 24.

The tool illustrated in the accompanying drawings includes abody portion 26, which is recessed so as to fit over and straddle the top flange l of the beam at an edge 2? opposite to the edge I2 and thereby provide upper and lower jaw portions 28 and 29 at the top and bottom sides of the flange. As will be seen from the drawings, the'body is of substantially (g-shape so that, the

side portions 28 and 29 are positioned in spaced opposed substantially parallel relation extending at generally right angles to an integral intermediate or connecting side 3|. Provided on the top side 28 of the body is a clamping means 32 which is manually operated by a lever 33 to forcibly bear against the wire portion 9 and securely clamp the wire portion 9, flange 1, and the body 26 of the tool together. A bending anvil 34 is carried by the body and is manually operated by a lever handle 36 to bend the end portion of the wire first down at right angles to the plane of the top of the flange l and across the flange edge 2?, as shown in Figure 3, and then horizontally inward across and against the under side 37 of the flange, as shown in Figure 4 so as to thereby securely and precisely wrap the wire around the flange.

Preferably, and as here shown, the clamping means 32 consists of a roller 38 which is provided with an eccentric shaft 39 journalled in a bearing opening 4| provided horizontally through the top jaw section 28 to thereby locate the roller 38 immediately alongside of the top jaw section. The lever handle 33 is secured to the shaft 39 at the opposite side of the top section 23 as indicated in Figure 2. The diameter of the roller and its eccentricity in relation to the size of the top jaw section 28 is such that the periphery of the roller 32 is moved into and from the clamping space between the jaw sections in a degree of swing of the handle 33 of about 45. Preferably, and as here shown in Figure 1, the clamping roller is removed from the clamping space and to an inoperative position upon elevation of handle 33 to approximately a vertical position as illustrated in dotted lines in the figure. Upon drawing of the handle in a clock-wise direction, the periphery of the roller is advanced into the clamping space to engage the hanging wire 9 and a full and rigid clamping of the wire is preferably accomplished with about 45 of arc movement. In this operation the clockwise movement of the roller periphery draws the wire bend H tightly against the flange edge l2. If desired the roller periphery may be knurled or otherwise roughened to grip the wire. As will be noted the displacement of the roller to clamping position draws up the lower jaw section 29 against the under side 31 of the flange so that the flange and wire 9 are gripped between the lower jaw and the roller. Preferably I provide in the lower jaw 29 a pair of pins 42 and 43, desirably threaded through the lower jaw for adjustment, see Figure 3, and which are provided with hardened steel points 44 and 46 projecting into the space between the jaws, and which are embedded into the under side 31 of the beam flange so as to securely anchor the jaw section to the beam and prevent relative shifting during the bending operation.

The bending anvil 34 is here pivotally connected to the body 25 by means of a shaft 4'! projectinglaterally from the bending anvil and its handle 36 and journalled in either one of two rotary bearing portions 48 and 49 at the opposite ends of an elongated slot provided in the intermediate side SI of the body generally longitudinally thereof, that is, vertically arranged in the operating position of the tool, as illustrated in the drawings. The width of slot 5i is somewhat less than the diameter of the bearing portions 48 and 49, and to permit selective movement therebetween, theshaft 41 is provided with a flat spot 52 so as to admit the shaft to the slot and permit passage therethrough from one bearing portion to the other.

As will be seen from Figure 1, the operating face 53 of the anvil 34 is angularly related to the longitudinal axis of the handle 36 so that the face 53 is advanced into position of contact with the overhanging end 54 of the hanging wire upon elevation of handle 39 in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 1, to a position approximately midway to vertical. From this position further counter-clockwise displacement of the handle 36 rotates the face 53 of the anvil downwardly against the wire end 54 with ensuing bending of the wire end 54 to a position illustrated in Figure 3. In this position the handle 36 has been moved through and approximately 45 past vertical, as will be seen from Figure 3, so as to force the wire end 54 firmly against the flange edge 2'1, thereby locking the wire against horizontal movement on the flange, the opposite flange edge 12 being clamped by bend l I. The handle 35 is then raised slightlyv toward vertical so as to align the flat spot 52 on shaft 4! with the slot 5 l whereupon the handle is dropped through the slot to the lower bearing portion 49, as illustrated in Figure 4. Further counterclockwise rotation of handle 36 as illustrated in Figure 4, forces the wire end 54 up against the under side 31 of the flange. As will be seen from this figure, the wire is now wrapped completely around the top flange with a degree of precision as may be termed a shop bend, and is securely anchored thereto. Preferably and as here shown the outer edge of the anvil face 53, that is the edge away from the tool body, is provided with a raised shoulder 55 so as to confine the hanging wire between the shoulder 55 and the body of the tool during the bending operation and thereby revent lateral escape of the wire from the anvil face 53. After wrapping of the wire around the beam flange, as above described, lever-handle 33 is pulled forwardly by the operator from its vertical locking position to thereby release the grip of the roller 32 and permit removal of the tool.

It will now be clear that the wire bending tool of the present invention, and as above described, may be used with ease and facility on the job by the workman, and by means of which bends of shop quality may be quickly and readily made directly on the structural steel beams, thereby assuring safe load capacity and maximum labor saving efiiciency.

I claim:

1. A tool for attaching a sofiit hanging wire to a structural steel member having a horizontally extending flange wherein the free end portion of said wire is formed to overlie said flange, comprising, a C-shaped body having opposed substantially parallel end portions and an integral intermediate portion at substantially right angles thereto adapted for positioning with said end portions straddling said flange with said intermediate portion adjacent an edge of said flange, a clamping member eccentrically mounted to one of said end portions, a lever secured to said member for rotation thereof to and away from said last named end portion to thereby clamp said wire end and flange between said member and the opposite end portion, and a bending anviland manually engageable lever therefor pivotally connected to said intermediate portion in general alignment with said member to engage and dis-' place said wire end around said flange edge.

2. A tool for attaching a soflit hanging wire to a structural steel member having a horizontally extending flange wherein the free end portion of said wire is formed to overlie said flange, comprising, a 'C-shaped body having opposed substantially parallel end portions and an integral intermediate portion at substantially right angles thereto adapted for positioning with said end portions straddling said flange with said intermediate portion adjacent an edge of said flange, a clamping member ecoentrically mounted to one of said end portions, a lever secured to said member for rotation thereof to and away from said last named end portion to thereby clamp said Wire end and flange between said member and the opposite end portion, said intermediate portion being formed with an elongated slot arranged generally longitudinally thereof and having rotary bearing portions adjacent the opposite ends of said slot, a bending anvil having a part slideably carried in said slot for journalling thereof in said bearing portions and positioning said anvil in general alignment with said member to thereby engage said wire end, and a manually engageable lever" secured to said anvil, said anvil being constructed and said bearing portions being positioned to successively bend said wire end around and under said flange edge.

3. A tool for attaching a sofiit hanging wire to a structural steel member having a horizontally extending flange wherein the free end portion of said wire is formed to overlie said flange, comprising, a substantially 'C-shaped body having spaced opposed side portions and an integral connected portion defiining a space between said side portions somewhat greater than the thickness of said flange for positioning said side portions respectively over and under said flange adjacent an edge thereof, a clamping member eccentrically pivoted to the upper of said side portions whereby on rotation the periphery of said member will be moved into and retracted from said space for engaging and clamping said wire end, a plurality of pins carried by the lower of said side portions and adjustable thereto into said space to engage the under side of said flange, said intermediate portion being formed with an elongated slot generally longitudinal thereof and having rotary bearing portions adjacent the ends of said slot generally aligned with said side portions, and a bending anvil and manually operated lever therefor having a part slideably mounted in said slot and formed for journalling in said bearing portions, said bending anvil being generally aligned with said member so as to engage said wire and being constructed in relation to the position of said bearing portions and part so as to depress said wire end vertically downward across said flange edge when rotated with said part in the upper of said bearing portions and to displace said wire end against the under side of said flange when rotated with said part in the lower of said bearing portions.

LEMUEL R. VINES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 808,672 Mobley Jan. 2, 1906 1,054,675 Coffman Mar. 4, 1913 1,354,770 Little Oct. 5, 1920 1,709,908 Free Apr. 23, 1929 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 512,742 France Oct. 22, 1920 

